Project Management & Project Management Software

1. Project Management &Project Management Software Yale Braunstein School of Information Management & SystemsUC Berkeley

2. Getting started • Think in terms of tasks&resources • Tasks should be easily defined • There should be a “reasonable” number of tasks • Task properties: duration, predecessors, etc. • “Critical” tasks • Milestones • Summary tasks (optional, but useful) • Assign resource(s) to each task

3. Sample sets of tasks - 1 • This example is adapted from a project a few years ago. It includes tasks that are “do it” and “analyze it” in nature. (Tasks are not in chronological order.) 1. Create master stock element records for all current stock elements. 2. Transfer stock elements on neg to analog video. 3. Link videotapes' metadata to master stock records. 4. Progress report due in IS208. 5. Develop plan to link metadata for existing high-res digital versions of stock elements to master records in template database. 6. Analyze possible low-res movie file standards. 7. Decide on low-res movie file standard to be used in new system. 8. Create low-res movie files of all existing analog video and/or high-res digital copies of stock elements. 9. Final report due in IS208 10. Compare in-house asset management system development with purchase of 3rd-party software. 11. Migrate data from template database to newly developed database. 12. Begin testing usability and accuracy of new system. 13. Publish new stock elements database on company intranet .

4. Sample sets of tasks – 2a • Meet with client and decide on scope of project • Develop information gathering plan • Design survey • Get authorization for survey • Pilot-test survey • Revise survey • Select sample for survey • Administer survey • Analyze survey results • Compile list of candidate systems • Develop template for comparing alternatives • Decide on "short list" • Do detailed technical analysis of alternatives • Do detailed cost analysis of alternatives

5. Sample sets of tasks – 2b • Tasks (continued) • Draft comparative sections of report • Revise comparative sections of report • Write implementation plan • Write evaluation plan • Write final report • Prepare oral presentation • And here are the milestones: • Submit information gathering protocol and instrument • Submit progress report • Submit economic feasibility report • Submit process diagram(s) • Submit final report • Give oral presentation

6. Project 2000 “project map”

7. Project 98 “project map”

8. A Non-linear View

9. Planning Phase 3: Work Plan 2: Feasibility Analysis 3: Staffing Plan Project Plan 2: System Request 3: Risk Assessment 3: Charter 3: Standards Analysis Phase 5: As-Is System Summary 5: To-Be System Concept 6: As-Is Use Cases 6: To-Be Use Cases System Proposal 5: Improvement Opportunities 4: Analysis Plan Go/No-Go Decision Project Plan 6: As-Is Process Model 6: To-Be Process Model 7: As-Is Data Model 7: To-Be Data Model Design Phase 12: Data Storage Design 9: Infrastructure Design 10: Interface Structure 8: Revised Use Cases 9: Network Model 10: Interface Standards System Design Go/No-Go Decision Project Plan Revised 8: Physical Process Model 13: Program Structure System Proposal 11:User Interface Template 9: Hardware/Software Specifications 8: Design Plan 8: Physical Data Model 11: User Interface Design 9: Security Plan 13: Program Specifications Implementation Phase 15: Conversion Plan Delivered System 14: Programs System Delivery 15: Change Management Plan Go/No-Go Decision Project Plan Revised 14: Test Plan System Design 14: User Documentation 15: Support Plan Project Assessment 14: Tested System

10. Using MS Project • Initial steps • Set initial parameters • Enter tasks • Link tasks • Enter resources • Assign resources to tasks • Additional steps • Enter milestones • Enter fixed costs

11. Analysis with MS Project • Look at Critical Path & identify slack • Use MS Project's "Gantt Chart Wizard" • Check if resource used more than 100% • Group tasks; Split tasks • Remember baselines • Customize printouts

12. Track progress with MS Project • Several alternatives • Enter % completed • Enter time to complete • Enter date completed (more than one is allowed) • Choose additional reports

13. Determine the Critical Path • What is the critical path? • The critical path is the series of tasks (or even a single task) that dictates the calculated finish date of the project. That is, when the last task in the critical path is completed, the project is completed. • If it's important for your project to finish on schedule, pay close attention to the tasks on the critical path and the resources assigned to them. These elements determine whether your project will finish on time.

14. Critical Path - continued • The series of tasks are generally interrelated by task dependencies. Although there are likely to be many such networks of tasks throughout your project plan, the network finishing the latest is the project's critical path. • Note that the critical path can change from one series of tasks to another as you progress through the schedule. The critical path can change as critical tasks are completed, or tasks in another series of tasks are delayed. There is always one overall critical path for any project schedule. The new critical path then becomes the series of tasks you track more closely to ensure the finish date you want.

15. Gantt chart

16. Tracking Gantt chart

17. The critical path Using the PERT Chart view

18. The critical path Using View / More Views / Detail Gantt